Jesus Springs: Evangelical Capitalism and the Fate of an American City

In the years after World War II, American evangelicals flocked to the once-sleepy mountain town of Colorado Springs. Drawn by cheap property, beautiful scenery, and the encouragement of civic leaders who saw religion as a path to prosperity, evangelicals planted new churches and built religious nonprofits with a global reach. They preached their message in churches and schools, even in the United States Air Force Academy. Their efforts transformed the city into what some called the “Evangel...